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twelve
I stare up at the ceiling. A soft white with a pinkish tint, that adds rosey tones to the room and ties everything together. My ceiling used to be a very baby pink almost whiteish, much like this one. It brings back a lot of memories, a lot of things from before everyone changed.
Slowly I push myself off the comforts of my bed standing before my full length mirror. It's amazing how in a matter of days my appearance has changed so drastically. My pale skin has become a shade darker from exposure to the outdoors, the bruises on my arms are slowly fading.
I guess I just look happier.
Everyone spoke of how incredible it is to meet their mate how they couldn't imagine a life without them. Now I understand what they meant. Theo and I have barely touched but it doesn't matter, inhaling his scent makes me smile and I think my wolf is finally starting to stir once again.
I throw on a black cardigan; over the same dress I had worn the day before. I'm still coming to terms with the idea of having a closet full of clothes all for me, I guess I don't want to be wasteful. Instead I've settled on the idea wearing the same thing until it wears out. It's only my fourth day here and my second time wearing this outfit. â¨I slip out of my room and wander down to the kitchen. Taking every detail in, sure I've been down the hall before but always in a hurry. Running for food, running away, constantly running. Now I have a chance to admire the same decorating skills used on my bedroom. â¨Every part of the house that I've seen so far is tasteful and elegant it's the way I would like my house to be one day. â¨"Good Morning, Luna." I spin around startled at the sound of another voice, I could've sworn I was alone.
"J-James." I began shakily, "I didn't see you there."
"I'm sorry to have scared you like that Luna, it won't happen again." James bows his head respectively.
"N-no it's fine and please call me Isabelle." I say focusing on the painting behind James. A bearded man stares straight back, his arm woven tightly around a beautiful blonde. Clothed in riches the couple sit perched upon an embroidered throne.
"As you wish L-. Isabelle." James' voice breaks me out of my trance, they make such a beautiful couple. I sigh my eyes once again locking with the man painted inside a frame, who is he?
Turning my attention back to James and the reason why I cam downstairs in the first place, to find Theo.
I smile at James, "since you're here I was w-wondering if you know where A-alpha Theo is?" I ask timidly, my whole life no ones ever really spoken to me. I always pictured having a conversation with someone, I would ask them how they were and they would respond and ask me how I was. Now that it's actually happening, I don't even know where to start.
James hesitates slightly, "I don't think you w-want to know." I look up curiously, did he just stutter? People stutter when they're nervous. "James." I say watching him carefully, his lip twitches slightly and he avoids my gaze. There are many things I don't know anything about, conversations being one, but how to tell when people are lying? That's my bread and butter, from a young age I had too. People would constantly lie to me. It forced me to watch their faces study their expressions until I could find what would give them away. For some people it's the way their eyes move, others it's rubbing their nose or holding their neck. A common denominator is and always has been avoiding people's gaze. Simply because lying into someone's eyes is a million times harder, because you're not just lying to them anymore you're lying to their soul. I would know. James is a text book example of a liar and it makes me sweat because he shouldn't have anything to lie about.
"He's in his o-office." I nod in acknowledgment of his answer before dashing up the stairs just before I reach the top James yells up to me, "you're not going to like it Belle."
He's right, I didn't.
~
I rock back and forth shaking slightly, he wouldn't do that to me. Would he? My mind is wild with possibility. Was this all a setup? I trusted him, well I almost did. I shake my head tears streaming down my cheeks. I am an idiot.
"Belle." My whole body stiffens at his voice. I hold my breathe as Theo's scent fills my nostrils.
He bends down, placing one hand on top of the table, "Belle please just let me explain."
I just turn away from him to face the wall, "there is nothing to explain." I mumble into my legs.
"Please hear me out." Theo begs I can feel his hand on my back in an attempt to comfort me.
I shrug it off, "d-don't touch me."
"Belle."
"S-stop Theo." I say, hearing his apology, looking into his eyes, I know I'll forgive him, but I can't.
Not yet anyway.
"Just let me explain."
"There is nothing to explain!" I cry.
"Belle nothing happened with her." Theo says desperately trying to reassure me.
"Just then or before you met me?" I ask coldly. Within seconds I am reminded of my vicious words and met with silence. Before I can think I turn around to face Theo, my eyes meeting his.
"Belle please." He reaches out placing his hand on my knee, I flinch but allow it to rest there tentatively.
"I-I'm sorry." I murmur, what I said before was totally out of line especially, to an Alpha.
"You have nothing to be sorry for." Theo says softly his hand brushing a tear from my cheek.
"You didn't answer my question." I say pulling away.
Theo runs his free hand through his gold hair, "I never meant to hurt you. Oh gosh I'm so sorry if I could I would take it all back. It meant nothing Belle, none of them did I j-."
"Theo." I say quietly and his eyes finally meet mine. "You're rambling." I smile slightly at the nervous look in his eyes, it's the first time I've seen him with his guard down before.
"Please forgive me Belle." I stare at Theo for a moment how many were there? Do I really want to know that?
"T-tell me what happened today." I say rocking back and forth.
"She doesn't mean anything to me Belle."
"That's not how she put it." I reply bitterness creeping into my voice.
"We've been on and off for years honestly Belle she doesn't mean anything."
"How many others have there been?" I burst out before I can regret the question.
"Jeez Belle I don't know."
"Too many to count?" I ask timidly.
I watch as the nervous stressed Theo disappears and is replaced by an incredibly angry cold version.
"No need to criticize my decisions, you're no saint." Theo's words hurt but I try not to take them to heart, he's mad and he doesn't mean it.
"You've known me for a maximum of four days." I retaliate turning away from his angry eyes.
Theo shakes his head at me, "no need to play dumb I can smell him on you."
"S-smell who?"
"That man that you've been sleeping with." I flinch at the mention of him, how did he know? "I'm an Alpha which means all my senses are heightened not to mention you reeked of him when you arrived." I can feel his eyes burning into my back, why did I bring it up? He's slept with other girls in the past so what? Why oh why Goddess?
"I-I did?"
"Don't play dumb with me." Theo growls out causing me to retreat further into the corner.
"Please stop." I say.
"Well since you're so keen on knowing my past don't I have a right to know yours." His voice has softened but I can still see the determination in his eyes, the mistrust, the hurt.
"You do." I whisper, "I'm just not ready yet."
"What made you think I'm ready to talk about mine?" Theo accuses, his anger has drained away as fast as it appeared but I wish he was still angry. Replaced by his anger is raw emotion, hurt by a past he's obviously afraid of.
"I-I just, y-you were w-with her!" I cry out in confusion, Theo's right it's wrong for me to question him if I'm not ready to answer either but I saw them, touching.
"Belle."
"Isabelle." I correct, I had allowed him to call me that but it's just not working anymore.
"Isabelle nothing happened."
"Nothing happened? I can smell her on you Theo! My senses are no greater than a human's and I can smell her!" I scream waving my hands around frantically. At first I think it's worked until I realize what I said. My senses are no greater than a human's.
"What are you talking about Belle?"
"It doesn't matter." I say dismissively in an attempt to wave off the comment.
"You can tell me."
"I told you, I'm j-just not r-ready." I say starting to shake once more. Is he going to force it of me?
Theo gives me his hand, in confusion I accept and allow him to pull me out from under the kitchen bench.
"Have a seat." He gestures to the bar stool beside me.
"W-why?" I ask looking around desperately as I lower myself into the stool.
"Stacey and I have a history okay?" He says it more like a question than a statement. "Her and I had an understanding or so I thought."
"A-an understanding?" I say skeptically, I still haven't decided if I want to hear his answer.
"An understanding." Theo confirms his lips set in a firm lane. "When I turned sixteen my father threw a ball, all mateless members of our pack were invited as well as neighboring packs. It was held in the 'Frolick Area' as per tradition. Neither me nor Stacey found our mates that night but we did find each other." Theo pauses watching my reaction. I try to keep my face expressionless but I can't help myself shaking. "After that night we couldn't keep our hands off each other, all our friends were falling in love and mating, whereas we only wanted one thing. That's what I thought. As we got older she begun to hint to things about becoming the Luna, I didn't really take it seriously because I thought we were just casual. Of course most girls don't think like that and as time went by she began to think she was entitled to being the next Luna."
At this point I'm almost in tears, he's basically had a thing with someone since he was sixteen. A willing thing.
"I became Alpha at age sixteen so I guess it shouldn't have been such a surprise to me when she started demanding pack members to call her Luna. Of course the moment I heard about it I told her that she wasn't to be next Luna, she didn't take no for an answer. Soon enough she started acting like we were mates, begging me to mark her and pretending like we had a spark. I broke it off with her after that. I wasn't sure if I would be lucky enough to have a mate, but I still had hope."
"When w-was this?" I ask softly.
"I broke things off with Stacey when I turned eighteen."
"How old a-are you?"
"I'm twenty."
I nod my head slowly, how do you react to that?
"What was S-stacey doing in your office?" I ask.
"She had heard the rumors about a rogue in our pack who is 'supposedly' my mate and came to smooth everything out."
"Supposedly?"
"You are my mate Belle that I have no doubt about, but only James knows."
"A-are you ashamed?" I ask, staring at the floor. Even I can't blame him for being ashamed of such a pathetic excuse for a mate.
My question is met with silence and at first I think he's left me to wallow in my own self-pity.
Until I feel an unfamiliar spark of electricity run from my chin all the way down to my toes. Gently Theo's finger raises my head so my eyes meet his. He doesn't say anything, simply bends forward and kisses me.
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Hey All!
To all my first time readers, I hope you enjoyed this lovely moment... 12 Chapters in and Isabelle and Theo have finally kissed!!! Curious to how she's going to react? What's going to happen about Stacey? All will be revealed soon :)
Thank you again for 11K+ the support I have recieved is heart warming, I truly love writing and I know I'm not that best, my ideas may not be the most original and my writing not the most skilled but I have a passion and knowing that even one person likes the work I produce means so much, let alone 11 THOUSAND!!!!!
Thanksss
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